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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-13-1994 City Council Minutes MINUTES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL TIME: Tuesday, December 13, 1994 - 5:30 p.m. PLACE: city Hall Administration Meeting Room, 13777 Fruitvale Ave. TYPE: Adjourned Regular Meeting 1. Roll call -'The meeting was called to order at 5:35 PM. Councilmembers Present: Moran, Wolfe, Jacobs and Burger Councilmembers Absent: Tucker (arrives at 5:40 PM.) Staff Present: City Manager Peacock 2. Report of city Clerk on Posting of Agenda Pursuant to Government Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on December 9. The notice of adjournment from the December 7 Council meeting was properly posted on December 8. 3. Appointment of New Finance Committee Member A. Resolutlon appointing Kathleen Hahn to Committee It was Moved by Jacobs and Seconded by Wolfe' to adopt Resolution 94- 55 appointing Hahn to the Finance Advisory Committee. Motion passed 4-0. B. Administration of Oath of Office to Ms. Hahn Hahn is sworn in by Mayor Burger. (Councilmember Tucker arrives at 5:40 PM.) 4. Joint Meeting with Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council - City Hall Administration Meeting Room, 13777 Fruitvale Ave. Charles Metcalf briefed the City Council on the form and function of SASCC, which provides Senior Citizen and Adult Day Care services, with the assistance of Olga MacFarlane director of the Senior Center and Rita Pennington, director of the Adult Day Care Center. The city council was shown a short video on the Adult Day Care program. Most of the people served by Adult Day Care are Saratoga residents. The capacity of the program is between 30-35 persons per day. A. City Funding of senior Coordinating Council SASCC fundraising capacityis declining according to board member Lane Tronson. There is a plan to increase the hours of the Adult Day Care program next fiscal year now that it is operational five days a week. SASCC has an endowment fund of $800,000. It lost about 1/2% on its investments this year but is expected to earn a 5% return next year. The $40,000 will be used to support SASCC operations. Since services are expanding, this still leaves a projected budget shortfall of some $14,000. SASCC will be asking for the city to support its programs by appropriating $85,000 for fiscal 1995-96, including CDBG funds. Discussion ensued regarding fundraising, the possible reduction in federal support in the future and the continued uncertainty of the state of local financing for the city because of the state budget crisis. The city council made no commitment to SASCC that its funding request would be granted. 5. Recess - The city council recessed for dinner at 6:35 PM. 6. Joint Meeting with Parks and Recreation Commission Senior Day Care Center - 19655 Allendale Avenue The city council reconvened in the Adult Day Care Center at 7:30 PM. Councilmembers Present: Burger, Jacobs, Tucker, Moran, Wolfe Commissioners Present: Miller, Clark, Swan, Crotty, Dutra, Weiner Commissioners Absent: Bernard Staff Present: City Manager Peacock, Public Works Director Perlin, Recreation Director Pisani City Council M~nutes 2 December 13, 1994 A. Kevln Moran/Azule Park DevelopmeEt Process The commission stated it believes the two park sites should be looked at together even though they are separated by the freeway. It believes that the city should start fresh in making decisions about the nature of the development of the two parks. A preliminary process for proceeding was outlined by the city manager for discussion purposes. The steps proposed were: 1. city Council to hold hearing to decide whether parks will be neighborhood or community oriented. Need to consider the communityts needs and balance them with the desires of the surrounding neighborhoods where they conflict. Need to perhaps seek professional assistance to identify the park and recreation facility needs of the community for now and for the future. 2. Retain the services of a park architect to work with the community and the commission in coming up with a park design based on needs and budget constraints. 3. Develop a concept plan and have the plan reviewed and revised by the commission with the assistance of the community. 4. Present the proposed concept plan to the city council for acceptance to develop the final plan. 5. Have the city council approve the final plan and authorize the call for bids. 6. City Council awards contract. 7. Park improvements constructed. The issue concerning the play equipment at Kevin Moran Park was raised and the need to replace same before the long range improvement plan takes place and construction is completed. The commission indicated that they are aware of this problem and will try to take that into consideration as the process unfolds. Members of the community present indicated they wished to be communicated with and be told the reasons for the decisions which will be made regarding development so the people will understand not only what is being done but why as well. (A sign up sheet of persons wishing to be notified of future meetings was passed around and collected by the city manager at the end of the meeting). D. Dogs in the Parks The city council next took this item up out of order since there were several people in the audience interested in the discussion. The Public Works Director presented a report from his department on the possible creation of a dog exercise area under the PG & E power lines adjacent to Congress Springs Park. He indicated that an area of approximately 60 x 300 feet could be fenced in for a cost of approximately $6,500 and maintained for an annual cost of approximately $1,000. A number of dog owners expressed their desire to have such a facility or in the alternative to allow a time for dogs to be off leash under voice command in one of the parks. The city manager indicated that before thislatter suggestion i~ pursued the cit~ attorney should be asked to examine the possible liability exposure such a policy could be creating for the city. Mrs. Metcalf, one of the dog owners indicated she had a list of cities which allow such practice. The city manager asked to be furnished with a list of those cities so staff could investigate those policies and the city attorney could consult with legal counsel for those cities as to the liability consequences of such a policy. It was Moved by Tucker, Seconded by Moran to direct staff to examine these alternatives further on receipt of the required information and to report its findings to.the commis~ion for action in making a policy recommendation to the city council and to the city council for City Council Minutes 3' December 13, 1994 information. C. Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages in City Parks The commission reported that in their view this is a clear law enforcement problem specific to Wildwood Park. They are opposed to a general prohibition of allowing alcoholic beverages to be consumed in the city~s parks. Councilmember Jacobs suggests that drinking be prohibited during weekdays except when the weekday is a legal holiday. Councilmember Tucker suggests that such a change be modified to allow possession and consumption by special permit as is now required for large groups. Both agreed that such a measure should apply only to Wildwood Park. It was Moved by Jacobs, Seconded by Tucker to direct the city attorney to prepare a revision to the city code which would limit possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Wildwood Park to weekends and legal holidays without a permit, such permit to be limited to no more than one permit per month for the same group of people and that the standard permit fee be charged. The motion passed 5-0. B. Role of the CommiSSiOn with Regard to the City Council and the Public. Discussion ensued regarding clarification of the city council~s communications policy. The city manager explained in lay terms how the policy affects commissioner/councilmember communication. The commission also discussed to what extent it should be free to suggest that it be involved in certain items before the city council which may be in the realm of parks and recreation such as the Nelson property and the wetlands restoration project at the college. The city council encouraged the commission to be proactive in terms of suggesting to the city council the kinds of items it should take up in which they feel they should be involved. Once an item is brought to the council's attention it will decide whether it wishes the commission to be involved in the decision process Or whether it is the council view that the matter is outside the purview of the commission. E. Master Plan as a Working Document~ Updating the Plan. The council and commission reviewed the report of the Public Works Director suggesting how he would revise the current plan to not only update it but to make it a more user friendly document for all concerned. It was agreed that the commission and the staff should proceed on the basis of the director~s report. F. Discussion of Open Space Element and Parks and Trails Master Plan Implementation Committee Report. This item,was identified as being part of the Master Plan update effort. However, the commission wished to consider the recommendations and report to the city council in writing its position on the various recommendations. Once that is accomplished the city council would formally consider accepting the recommendations for inclusion into the revised Master Plan. 7. Other Items A. City Council Policy encouraging Commissioners to provide telephone, fax, or e-mail contact opportunity for the press and general public The city council agreed that the mayor should prepare a note to all commissioners encouraging them to provide access ability for the members of the press. The city manager was directed to include this policy in the information furnished all future commission candidates so they will be aware of this expectation. B. Resolution of Commendation for Benny Pierce It was Moved by Moran, Seconded by Wolfe to adopt a resolution of city Council Minutes 4 December 13# 1994 commendation for Benny Pierce the retiring head football coach of Saratoga High School. The motion passed 5-0. C. Authorization to commit to purchase a Compressed Natural Gas-Fueled Vehicle via Sole-Source Vendor The Public Works Director reported that as a part of the city~s clean air program it intended to begin to purchase compressed natural gas vehicles. Currently PG & E ~s offering a rebate through the end of the calendar year for any agency com,~itting to buy such a vehicle. Normally staff would have proceeded to make such a commitment because funding for a replacement vehicle is provided in the approved budget. However staff has found that such a vehicle is manufactured only by one auto maker, Chrysler Corporation. Therefore, before proceeding staff must seek approval to secure such a vehicle under the sole source vendor exemption of the city code, which waives competitive bidding since there is only one vendor. It was Moved by Jacobs, Seconded by Wolfe to authorize the Public Works Director to commit to purchase a Compressed Natural Gas-Fueled Vehicle via the sole-source vendor provisions of the city~s purchasing ordinance. Motion passed 5-0. S. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 PM. Respectfully submitted, Harry R. P City Clerk